martin



Feb. 19, 1929.

E. L; MARTIN EYE EXERcIsING APPARATUS Filed May 25. 1927 Y INVENToR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1929.l

UNITED crores 1,702,700 meer@ creer..

EARL L. MARTIN, 0E SANTA. ANA, CALIFORNIA.

EYE-EXERCISYNG APPARATUS.

Appli-canon mea my 25, 1927. semi No. mense.

My invention relates to apparatus by the use of which the ocular muscles of the eyes may bev subjected to proper exercising 1notions. for st-renffthening and thus restoring the ocular muscles to normal condition.

It is a, purpose of nw invention to provide nn apparatus of the above described charneter which is designed for mechanical operar tion to. continuously more in a successivo ordern plurality of fixation obiccts, each oh ject describing on advancing moi-ement towards the eyes of the patient followed by o. descendinw und disappearing movement, so thuis with t 1e eyes intently following cach object successively? they will be subjected `to motionsA which eiect-ively exercise Vthe muscles; and thus restore them to normal condition.

It is also o purpose to provide an oye cxercising apparatus as above specified which muy employ any number of fixation objects l desired, sind means. for actuating the oojccts which can be varied in movementto cuneo theobjects to tra-vel zit-:my required speed ur accordance with the nature ot muscle correo tion desired.

I will describe Yonly one form ol eye errorcising apparatus embodyingjvmy invention and will then point out tho novel fentures thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure lis n View showing in top plan one' forni of eye exercising apparatus my invention;

liguro 2 is n View showing thE apUurutus lin eide elevation; y

Figure 3 n horizontal sectional View taken on tho lino olFigure 2;

Figure 4 is n vertical sectional rien' token ou the line H ol Figure 1.

Beniel-ringr specifically to tho drawings, my invention, 1n itc present. embodiment, conprises nn` elongated cabinet B having elnteral portion B' rising above and communicnt ing therewith. The cabinet B ifs provided with a slotV 15in the top well tluto which fixation objects 16 nre adapted to enter and travel so acto-.be visible cxteriorly of the cabinet enel through sight openings provided in 'a hood 17 et ono end of the cabinet. These fixation objects 16 are in the present instance in the form of arms having enlarged free cmbod yin g ends, the other ends being Iixcdlysccured to chl nn eudlessco'nveyer 18 in the form of a. chain trained about sprockets 19 and 2O fixed, re

epectively., onshaits21 and 22. "The shaft 21 is journnlecl in" c. brochet 23 xedto one end wull of the cabinet B, while the shaft 22 hns one end journaled in o bracket 24 secured to the other end woll of the cabinet.

'1 he shaft 2. is relatively long and its opina-' sltocnd 1s gournuled 1u a frame 25 for a worm Wheel 36 xcd to the shaft witlliuthe frame. The from@ is provided with :l pair of depend ini arms 2 in which is journuled n' shaft 2S having keyed thereto n worm pinion 29 which constant-ly meshes with the Worm geur 26. The shaft 28, in turn, is operatively connected to the shaft ofc. motor 30 to which current y1s supplied through the medium of n rheostnt so that its iq )ecstretch moves toward the observer ns inc looted by the arrow in Figure al.. YWith this movement ol the conveyer, .the several fixation objects secured to the conveyor at interrols along the length of the latter will successively ris-e from thesprocliet wheel 19 into the roar end of the slot l5 sotlmt their upper enlarged ends are exposed 'to View.

Uni-lor continued movement. ofthe conveyor.

the .ixutifm objects will push' forwardly tlxironghtho sint 15 und finally dowmvnrdly ont ofthe slot mul luto the enbinet ns -dctrr- .mined by'lho movon'mntvol?'the com-oyennround the sprocket wheel Q0.

Y'Jth the eyes or' the pntic-nl'. intently ich lowing the morcu'icnt ol' ouch lizuo'u object ns 1t. advances iownrd lum, thc :nner mueclcsl of the c ye will draw.' the eye m or toward nach other, and as the objectA disappears 'from view in descending into the cabinet, the eye will return to originel position to View the nextixntion objectN In this manner, the ocular muscles are exercised und thus restored to no1-.mul condition. v

By menus of the rhcostot., the rotational speed of the motor 30mm he l'viuda-d, which, inv turn, decreases or increases the speed of travel of the iixntion objects toward the eyes of the patient. .Tn this manner, the rapidity of the exercising increments of the ocular muscles can he vnricdjto suit the particular l nature ofmuscle correction desired.

loo,

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of eye exercising apparatus embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of: my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for the exercise of the ocular muscles comprising a cabinet, a sight device on the cabinet, a fixation object, means for supporting the object within the cabinet for lineal movement toward the sight device and then lo one side thereof so as to disappear from view with respect to the sight device` and means for actuating the first means so that the described movements of the object are successive and continuous.

2- An apparatus for the exercise .of the ocular muscles comprising a cabinet having a slot therein, a sightdevice on the cabinet, :1n endless conveyer within the cabinet, fixation objects on the conveyer, means for supporting the conveyer `for movement, and means for actuatingthe conveyer whereby the. fixation objects will be moved succes sively exteriorly of the cabinet through said slot toward the sight device and then back into the cabinet to disappear from view with respect to the sight device, all in a continuous operation.

3. An eye exercising apparatus comprising a cabinet having a slot in the top wall jects will be successively projected through said slot, caused to travel in the slot toward said sight device and finally returned to a position within the cabinet, Said means ineluding a motor and a rheostat for controlling the supply of current thereto.

4. An apparatus for the exercise of the ocular muscles comprising a cabinet, a sight device on the cabinet, a fixation object, means for suplmrting the object within the cabinet for lineal movement toward the sight device and then to one side thereof so as to disappear from view with respect to the sight device, and means for actuating the first means.

An eye exercising apparatus comprising a cabinet having a slot inl the top wall Y thereof. a sight device on the cabinet at one end of the slot, spaced sprocket wheels within the cabinet directly' beneath the slot, an endless chain trained about the sprocket wheels, fixation objects secured to the chain and arranged at intervais along the length of the latterg said objects being a suicient length so that these on the upper stretch of the chain will project through said slot, and means for actuating one of the sprocket Wheels to effect continuous movement of the chain in such direction that the fixation objects Will be successively projected through said slot, caused to travel in the slot` toward said sight device and finally returned to a position within the cabinet.

6. An apparatus for the exercise of the ocular muscles comprising a cabinet, a sight device on thc cabinet, a fixation object, means for supporting the object Within the cabinet for movement toward, the sight device and then to one side thereof so as to disappear from view with respect to Vthe sight device, means Vfor actuating the. first means, and means for controlling the last means to vary the. speed of movement of the first means and hence the fixation object. f i

EARL `L. MARTIN. 

